Catch Me If You Can
by Gannent
Summary: In this story, The Teen Titans are a band. One member falls in love with another, but is he just toying with her emotions? Do these intraband relationships ever work anyway? Formerly Banding Together but I changed the title.
1. Introduction

**A/N: **In this story, the Teen Titans is a rock band. That's the name of the group, and they have stage names and some have like personas. Here's the lineup:

Raven: bass

Cyborg: drums

Robin: lead guitar

Starfire: keyboard

Beast Boy: lead singer

It's a little weird but I hope you like it! The characters are the same except none of them have powers or anything. This chapter is going to be mostly introduction, so sorry if there's not much dialogue.

"INTERBAND ROMANCE- Are Starfire and Robin of the Teen Titans secretly dating??"

The headline blared across the trashy tabloid she was reading on the tour bus. She didn't know why she even bothered to look at these things. It made sense, after all. Starfire was the ultra-preppy keyboardist and Robin was the good-looking leader of the band. It was obvious that they would end up together.

Starfire was an adorable Japanese girl who had left her home to explore the world and had ended up, lost and confused, when the others had found her. She soon joined their group and fit right in. However, her red hair and green eyes made her resemble her German father more than her Japanese mother. She was very good with languages, having grown up speaking German and Japanese at home. They were good friends, but sometimes Starfire's cheery manner got on Raven's nerves.

Robin was somewhat of an enigma. None of them knew his background or where he had come from. No one had ever seen his eyes, either. He always wore a pair of mirrored sunglasses. Cyborg guessed that he even wore them in a shower. He was really popular with the girls and they were always coming up to him after shows. Raven seemed to trust him more than the others, but she wasn't sure why. It might be that his quiet manner was similar to hers. She just felt more comfortable around him.

"Hey Raven."

Lost in thought, she looked up from the tabloid. It was Robin. "Oh, hey. Did you know you're dating Starfire?" She handed him the magazine.

He raised an eyebrow, taking it and chuckling. "Well, you learn something new every day. I think I need to stop going to those afterparties. That's where they get all of their material."

"Don't you have fun, though?"

"Not really. There's too many crazy people and too many insincere people. I don't have the real tolerance and excitement for people that Starfire does."

She gave him a mock horrified work. "So you're not dating her?"

He smirked."Nope."

Later that night, they arrived at a gig. Raven was wearing purple flat ankle boots, a black miniskirt, a black corset-style top and black fingerless gloves. As she set up her bass, she looked at her bandmates. They had become her family in the past years. She was pretty much an orphan. Her dad had never been around, and her mom had given her up for adoption, keeping in contact very rarely. Raven had been adopted by a wise old woman when she was very young, who had taught her everything. After the woman died, Raven had been tossed from horrible foster home to horrible foster home. She eventually ran away, picking up the bass and by pure luck, she met the others.

Cyborg was like a great, doting older brother. He didn't seem to completely understand her, but he tried and he always respected her. Beast Boy was like an annoying younger brother, who she cared for but didn't always like. Starfire was like her sister, who also could be just a little annoying. Robin was different, though. He wasn't like a brother to her, and she wasn't sure what she felt about him.

"You guys ready?" Robin asked, his grin apparent despite the mirrored glasses.

They smiled and nodded in reply, taking their places behind the curtain.

"AND NOW- THE TEEN TITANS!"

She took a deep breath and prepared to face the screaming crowd.


	2. Realization

**A/N**: Hope you like this. Also hopefully there's more dialogue in this one. The last one was a little tedious, sorry. Message me if you have questions. Thanks!

Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans.

When the curtain opened and they started into their first song, Raven sighed. She enjoyed it, the rush of the crowd, but she was always sidelined, back in the corner strumming one or two bass notes during the entire song. She was talented. She could read and compose music, she could play other instruments, and she could play the bass really well. However, she never seemed to get that chance to just show off a little bit. Raven wasn't looking for the spotlight, she didn't want to be splashed across the tabloids like the others, but she wanted people to know what she could do.

Raven noticed Starfire smiling and blowing kisses to the crowd from behind her keyboard. Starfire was nervous when they first started playing, but now she loved the crowds and the fans. She got multiple marriage proposals per night, but she enjoyed flirting with the less serious and slightly crazy ones.

All of the boys appealed to the crowds. The younger girls in middle school or so loved Beast Boy, as did most of their fans in Japan. They liked his smile and they all wanted to wipe off his green face paint and find out what was underneath. Older girls liked Robin and his mysterious persona. Cyborg seemed to appeal more to older girls as well, but not as much as Robin did.

Raven didn't know where she fit in. She was still thinking about it when she made her way back to the bus after the show. She never had the amount of fans looking for autographs as the others did, and she didn't want to go to the parties, so she usually just headed straight for the bus. Her band mates would probably head out to an after party, stay up till the wee hours of the morning, and sleep on the bus ride to the next show. Raven didn't mind. She enjoyed her time alone.

"Hey Raven, why are you back at the bus so early?" Robin stuck his head in, startling her out of her ramblings.

"I always come straight back here. I don't have the crazed fans or marriage proposals to deal with." She replied stoically.

"That's kind of a shame." Robin said. "You're a central part of our group. Sometimes I think you are who really keeps us grounded."

"Well thanks. I'd rather hear that from you than praise from fans." Raven said honestly.

"I mean it. You're just as pretty as Starfire, maybe even prettier."

She raised an eyebrow. "Me? Are you serious?"

Raven could feel his intense look from behind his glasses. "Everyone's beautiful in their own way, and you definitely are." She could feel the blush creeping up on her cheeks as she realized how serious he was. "Come here." He offered her his hand, and she took it, standing up. He led her over to a mirror. "Have you ever really looked at yourself in the mirror?"

"Yeah, I suppose so." Looking in the mirror was actually an activity Raven only performed when it was extremely necessary. Doing so always made her feel… inadequate.

"No, I mean _really _looked yourself. Studied yourself. You can learn a lot about yourself that you never realized." He smiled at her, squeezed her shoulder and left the bus, leaving her feeling mystified.

She spent the rest of the night avoiding the mirror, trying to read, write, even watching some stupid show on TV, trying to stay away from that mirror. Sometime around 2 AM she gave up, and stood in front of it.

Raven looked into it, trying to see herself through his eyes. What had he meant during the entire conversation? How did he see her? When he looked at her, did he see a sister? A best friend? Or something else?

It made her brain hurt. Why did she even care what he thought? She stared into her reflection's eyes, deep and purple. They seemed to go on for miles, and they seemed to reveal nothing. Suddenly, a shade passed over them, and she was struck with a miraculous realization that he had promised. _You care about him, more than for anything else. _


	3. Melancholy

**A/N**: Again, hope you enjoy! Note- If you google the song title and artist, at the top of your search results is a link to listen to the song. I suggest you do. It's very pretty.

Disclaimer: I don't the Teen Titans or the song "Sea of Love" by Cat Power, which I am using in this story. Full credit goes to them, I did not write those lyrics.

Raven was exhausted, and she, like her band mates, slept through the bus ride. She successfully put it out of her mind during sound check and during the show, but when it was just her alone on the bus she could ignore it no longer.

She tried to relax. Meditation wouldn't help take her mind off of it, but there might be one thing that would. She usually liked metal music, or dark stuff that could really distract her, but at times she enjoyed playing pieces that were sort of quiet, wistful, and tinged with melancholy. Tonight was one of those times.

So, she went to a storage area of the bus and pulled out an acoustic guitar. It was _his_, of course, but she refused to think about that. She returned to her bunk and started playing a song and singing.

(1)

Come with me  
My love  
To the sea  
The sea of love

I want to tell you  
how much  
I love you

Do you remember  
When we met  
That's the day  
I knew you were my pet

I wanna tell you  
how much  
I love you

Come with me  
My love  
To the sea  
the sea of love

I wanna tell you  
How much  
I love you

She finished and looked up, to see Robin standing there, clapping.

"Good Lord, what are you doing here?" Raven asked, feeling shocked and slightly upset that he had intruded on her private time and had discovered her singing.

"Sorry. I decided not to go out tonight, and I was going to let you know I was here when I heard you singing and playing the guitar. It was mesmerizing. I'm sorry; I didn't mean to interrupt your time. But it was really, really good."

"Thanks." She mumbled. "It's not a hard song."

"Yeah, but I didn't know you could play the guitar at all! Hell, I didn't know you could sing like that!"

She tilted her head, finally looking at him. "You thought my singing was good?"

Robin smiled at her. "It was fantastic." And she believed him.

He sat down next to her. "You know, Raven, you should do a song."

Raven was incredulous. "You mean during one of the concerts? I-I couldn't."

"Not necessarily for a concert. But you really do have a gift. You should use it. I think you should write a song. If not to play for fans in a concert, at least just for you and me. I'd like that."

In that moment, she knew that she would do it.

(1) The song is "Sea of Love" by Cat Power


	4. Courage

**A/N**: So I finally updated the story! I sorta have a plotline written out, but it might not work out. I hope I didn't write myself into a corner! This chapter is almost as long as the previous 3 put together. I said I was working on that chapter length! ;)

Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans. However, I do own these lyrics. I wrote them myself.

"I wrote it." Raven plunked a sheet of music down in front of Robin. He had been spending less time out at parties and more time on the bus. He claimed that he was sick of all the tabloid rumors and that he just wanted to let things cool down for awhile. However, he had still given Raven her space, and she had used that time to write the song.

"Nice. Let's hear it." He smiled and turned to her.

Raven took a deep breath. She wasn't one to really express her emotions, but it was different in her songs. She had written songs over the years, but this one was new, for him, as he had requested.

Nothing is permanent for me

Everything is constant in its change

Sometimes I'm just treading water

Trying to keep myself from drowning

I want permanence

Can it be with you?

I need someone by my side

And somehow it's only you

I'm off in the shadows

I'm off by myself

You bring me out and reconnect me

You show me what I'm living for

I want permanence

Can it be with you?

I need someone by my side

And somehow it's only you

Take my vulnerabilities

Take my issues

Make them all okay

I want your acceptance

I want permanence

Can it be with you?

I need someone by my side

And somehow it's only you

She strummed the last chord and hesitated, nervous of his reaction.

"Wow, Raven. That was amazing."

She could feel herself blushing. "Thanks. I- it's hard, to put everything out there like that."

Robin was smiling at her. "And you did it beautifully. It really is worthy of national release, if you'd want to."

"Oh… I don't-"

He cut her off. "Look, you don't need to worry about that now. Just something for you to think about." He leaned towards her, making her heart race and her cheeks flush. "It was really good."

As if on cue, the others poured back into the bus. _Geez, for three people they sure make a hell of a lot of noise._ Robin got up and was immediately immersed in their conversation, leaving Raven to return to her bunk and try to figure him out.

_People can be so mysterious._ Raven was a mysterious person herself, but she felt that she was never purposefully trying to confuse or mislead people, rather, she was protecting her privacy. So, she did not understand him at all. Why did he need to try to confuse her like that? She wanted to trust him. She had never really trusted anyone in her life. Raven vaguely trusted people; like the others. She didn't believe that any of them would purposefully hurt her, no, it was when good intentioned people hurt her that was the most painful.

The song was about him. It had been so obvious to her when she was writing it that the words flowing out of her were all about him. He had not seen it. In a way it was a relief, because it postponed any inevitable rejection. Even if the tabloids lied about him and Starfire, it was certainly more plausible than Robin being with her. A snowball in hell had a better chance. She was the dark girl, off in the corner with her bass, invisible. Starfire was the shining light, the bubbly one out on stage blowing kisses and soaking in the love and attention. Raven would survive. She was used to this, and she would get over it eventually, like anyone else she had ever had a crush on. No need to waste time on something that will never happen.

_Two Weeks Later_

They had been touring for so long that Raven couldn't remember where in the hell they were. It didn't matter. Tonight was an important night. Tonight she would be debuting the Titans' new song, "My Permanence". Normally, Raven didn't get nervous. But tonight, she was nervous.

Robin had announced to the others yesterday that Raven would be playing a new song at the show tonight. None of the others had heard it yet, but they had all been surprised. Starfire had jumped up and down. _"Oh Raven, how glorious that you will be sharing your talents with us! I am bubbling with excitement!"_ Cyborg had clapped her on the back and congratulated her. _"I know it'll be great, Raven. You can do anything you want to. I'm proud of you."_ It had made her blush a little. Of course, Beast Boy had to chime in._ "Well, I guess you'll finally get out of the corner for once."_ That made her glare just a little, as he always did. _Thanks a lot, Beast Boy. I'm so glad you support me._

Robin had coached her through it, together they had made some adjustments, and together they would be playing it tonight, with him on a second guitar. "Just look at me." He had told her. "Forget the audience. Imagine that we're back on the bus, and we're playing it to each other, and not to anyone else."

It had sounded so easy at the time, but it was hard to imagine it being just the two of them under the hot stage lights with microphones in front of them.

But they went out there, the two of them, the stage clear except for two stools and a microphone. They sat down and the stage went dark except for one spotlight. Raven took her deep breath, closed her eyes, and then looked at Robin. He was calm and confident and he smiled in that way that reassured her and scared her at the same time.

The words gushed out of her like a rushing river, swelling around her and encompassing the stage, the audience, Robin, and her. The melody sounded so soft and sweet, tinged with that delicate melancholy she had deliberately worked in. Despite her normal stoicism, Raven felt like crying. When it was over, she felt like the proverbial weight was lifted off her shoulders. The stadium swelled with applause and cheers, and Raven did feel the beginnings of tears as Robin gave her a hug.

"Good job." He whispered, and Raven felt like it was the biggest compliment she had ever received.

"That. Was. AWESOME!" Beast Boy greeted them as they left the stage after the performance.

"You guys were great. Damn, Raven, I didn't know you had such a great set of pipes!" Cyborg congratulated them, giving Raven a hug.

"Friends! Your performance was most excellent and very enjoyable!" Starfire exclaimed, squeezing them so close they could hardly breathe.

"Thanks," Robin answered. "but it was all Raven. She wrote the song, she wrote the lyrics, everything."

"Well, you helped me on the second guitar arrangement." She replied.

"Oh, but that was nothing."

"No, it-"

"Oh stop arguing over who did better!" Cyborg interrupted. "It was great!"

"Thanks everyone." Raven smiled briefly and looked down, embarresed by their praise.


End file.
